1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for repairing transportation containers, and more particularly to a device that uses a pneumo-hydraulic driving means to repair damage from virtually any section along the inner surface of the transportation container, including perimeter walls, ceilings, door frames, and/or corner posts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for shipping container repair devices have been designed in the past. None of them, however, have implemented a pneumo-hydraulic drive means—lighter than what conventional shipping container repair devices use—to operate a pivoting arm that can be raised, lowered, extended and retracted. None include a piston repair arm to gradually be extended to repair damage on the inner surfaces of transportation containers. Also, none of the references in the prior art teach or suggest using a pivoting arm to position the piston repair arm in the proper location. Additionally, none include a plurality of accessories that can be fitted with the piston repair arm to more effectively repair surfaces having different contours and corner posts.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,926 issued to Bieli, Moeschlin Ruedi for equipment for repairing and correcting dents or bulges in containers. However, it differs from the present invention because the Bieli reference teaches of an electric powered driving means for the pistons without the use of a pivoting arm that can position the repair piston in a safe and effective location. This makes for a much heavier apparatus that is more difficult to transport and operate. It would not be obvious to find a way to configure a pneumo-hydraulic driving means with this apparatus. The configuration of the pneumo-hydraulic driving means requires unexpected configurations to be made to the apparatus with respect to operating the pivoting arm and repair piston arm.
It is not obvious to any references in the prior art, individually or in combination, as evident in Bieli. The Bieli reference taught of needing a complicated arrangement of elements that are used to lift the device into a transportation container to be repaired. This complex arrangement is needed because of the significant weight associated with the electric driving means. The pneumo-hydraulic means of the present invention requires foot pedals, an air filter, and a series of conducts that would not be obvious to apply to the Bieli reference.
Additionally, the electric driving means causes Bieli to utilize a plurality of chains to achieve a predetermined height for the repair arm of the apparatus. In addition, it only teaches of a repair arm that can be raised and lowered, leaving absent a disclosure that teaches of a method to extend and retract the position of the repair arm. This flaw in the apparatus subject of the Bieli reference leaves out the important safety feature taught by the present invention. The ability to extend or retract the pivoting arm allows a user to separate him or herself from a work site that may expel harmful debris.
The electric powered driving means of the Bieli reference can also be subject to short circuits. The present invention uses a pneumo-hydraulic system to repair containers with none of the dangers associated with a short circuit or electrical hazards. If damage is done to the pneumo-hydraulic system, the worst that can happen is an air escape, a relatively harmless consequence.
Additionally, the present invention can be configured with a plurality of attachments to the piston repair arm to repair damage on virtually any section of a transportation container. Specifically, the present invention discloses of attachments that can be used to repair containers with wider or narrower contours along the surface of its inner walls, door frames, and/or corner posts. This versatility is not disclosed in the prior art as the related references are only designed for perimeter walls. Also, the present invention discloses a system that includes a pneumo-hydraulic assembly that can be easily detached from the platform of the apparatus. The prior references do not disclose or motivate one of ordinary skill in the art to include an assembly for its driving means that can be detached to reduce the weight of the device or so the driving means can be more ergonomically repaired or maintained.
Other documents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.